Labor DayLabor Day in the
United StatesUnited States is a public holiday celebrated on the
first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and
the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity,
laws and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long
weekend known as
Labor DayLabor Day Weekend and it is considered the unofficial
end of summer in the United States. It is recognized as a federal
holiday.
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor
movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to
celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union
and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York
City. In 1887,
OregonOregon was the first state of the
United StatesUnited States to make
it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official
federal holiday in 1894, thirty states in the
United StatesUnited States officially
celebrated Labor Day.[1]
Canada's
Labour DayLabour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of
September. More than 80 countries celebrate International Workers' Day
on May 1 – the ancient European holiday of May Day – and
several countries have chosen their own dates for Labour Day.

History[edit]
Origin[edit]
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor
movements grew, different groups of trade unionists chose a variety of
days on which to celebrate labor. In the United States, a September
holiday called
Labor DayLabor Day was first proposed in the early 1880s.
Alternate stories of the event's origination exist.
According to one early history of Labor Day, the event originated in
connection with a General Assembly of the
Knights of LaborKnights of Labor convened in
New York CityNew York City in September 1882.[2] In connection with this
clandestine Knights assembly, a public parade of various labor
organizations was held on September 5 under the auspices of the
Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York.[2] Secretary of the CLU Matthew
Maguire is credited for first proposing that a national Labor Day
holiday subsequently be held on the first Monday of each September in
the aftermath of this successful public demonstration.[3]

P.J. McGuire, Vice President of the American Federation of Labor, is
frequently credited as the father of
Labor DayLabor Day in the United States.

An alternative thesis is maintained that the idea of
Labor DayLabor Day was the
brainchild of Peter J. McGuire, a Vice President of the American
Federation of Labor, who put forward the initial proposal in the
spring of 1882.[1] According to McGuire, on May 8, 1882, he made a
proposition to the fledgling
Central Labor Union in
New York CityNew York City that
a day be set aside for a "general holiday for the laboring
classes."[4] According to McGuire he further recommended that the
event should begin with a street parade as a public demonstration of
organized labor's solidarity and strength, with the march followed by
a picnic, to which participating local unions could sell tickets as a
fundraiser.[4] According to McGuire he suggested the first Monday in
September as an ideal date for such a public celebration, owing to
optimum weather and the date's place on the calendar, sitting midway
between the
Fourth of JulyFourth of July and
ThanksgivingThanksgiving public holidays.[4]
Labor DayLabor Day picnics and other public gatherings frequently featured
speeches by prominent labor leaders.
In 1909 the
American Federation of LaborAmerican Federation of Labor convention designated the
Sunday preceding
Labor DayLabor Day as "Labor Sunday," to be dedicated to the
spiritual and educational aspects of the Labor movement.[3] This
secondary date failed to gain significant traction in popular culture.
Legal recognition[edit]
In 1887
OregonOregon became the first state of the
United StatesUnited States to make
Labor DayLabor Day an official public holiday. By the time it became an
official federal holiday in 1894, thirty
U.S. statesU.S. states officially
celebrated Labor Day.[1] All U.S. states, the District of Columbia,
and the
United StatesUnited States territories have subsequently made
Labor DayLabor Day a
statutory holiday.
Labor DayLabor Day vs. May Day[edit]
The date of May 1 (an ancient European folk holiday known as May Day)
emerged in 1886 as an alternative holiday for the celebration of
labor, later becoming known as International Workers' Day. The date
had its origins at the 1885 convention of the American Federation of
Labor, which passed a resolution calling for adoption of the eight
hour day effective May 1, 1886.[5] While negotiation was envisioned
for achievement of the shortened work day, use of the strike to
enforce this demand was recognized, with May 1 advocated as a date for
coordinated strike action.[5] The proximity of the date to the bloody
Haymarket affairHaymarket affair of May 4, 1886, further accentuated May First's
radical reputation.
There was disagreement among labor unions at this time about when a
holiday celebrating workers should be, with some advocating for
continued emphasis of the September march-and-picnic date while others
sought the designation of the more politically-charged date of May 1.
Conservative Democratic President
Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland was one of those
concerned that a labor holiday on May 1 would tend to become a
commemoration of the Haymarket Affair and in 1887, he publicly
supported the September
Labor DayLabor Day holiday as a less inflammatory
alternative.[6] The date was formally adopted as a United States
federal holiday in 1894.
Unofficial end of summer[edit]
Labor DayLabor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer"[7] because it marks
the end of the cultural summer season. Many take their two-week
vacations during the two weeks ending
Labor DayLabor Day weekend.[citation
needed] Many fall activities, such as school and sports begin about
this time.
In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the
Labor DayLabor Day holiday weekend (see First day of school). Most begin the
week before, making
Labor DayLabor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of
the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor
Day, allowing families one final getaway before the school year
begins. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school
after Labor Day.[8]
In the
U.S. stateU.S. state of Virginia, the amusement park industry has
successfully lobbied for legislation requiring most school districts
in the state to have their first day of school after Labor Day, in
order to give families another weekend to visit amusement parks in the
state. The relevant statute has been nicknamed the "Kings Dominion
law" after one such park.[9]
In
MinnesotaMinnesota the State Fair ends on Labor Day. Under state law public
schools normally do not begin until after the holiday. Allowing time
for school children to show
4-H4-H projects at the Fair has been given as
one reason for this timing.[10]
In U.S. sports,
Labor DayLabor Day weekend marks the beginning of many fall
sports.
National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams usually
play their first games that weekend and the National Football League
(NFL) traditionally play their kickoff game the Thursday following
Labor Day. The
Southern 500Southern 500NASCARNASCAR auto race has been held on Labor
Day weekend at
Darlington RacewayDarlington Raceway in
Darlington, South CarolinaDarlington, South Carolina from
1950 to 2003 and since 2015. At Indianapolis Raceway Park, the
National Hot Rod AssociationNational Hot Rod Association hold their finals of the NHRA U.S.
Nationals drag race that weekend.
Labor DayLabor Day is the middle point
between weeks one and two of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held
in Flushing Meadows, New York.
In fashion,
Labor DayLabor Day is (or was) considered the last day when it is
acceptable to wear white[11] or seersucker.[12][13]
Labor DayLabor Day sales[edit]
To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to
shop,
Labor DayLabor Day has become an important weekend for discounts and
allowances by many retailers in the United States, especially for
back-to-school sales. Some retailers claim it is one of the largest
sale dates of the year, second only to the
ChristmasChristmas season's Black
Friday.[14]
Dates[edit]

History of Labor Day, History of Artists and Writers Unions, Rare
Labor Related Comic Books
Labor DayLabor Day is May 1: Today is a boss’s holiday. Jacobin. September 7,
2015.
Today Belongs to Workers. Jacobin. September 5, 2016.
"Labor Day". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.

Legend:
(federal) = federal holidays, (state) = state holidays, (religious) =
religious holidays, (week) = weeklong holidays, (month) = monthlong
holidays, (36) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies
Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United
States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month.
See also: Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the
United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States
Virgin Islands.